Sygnum and Starboard Digital raise over 750 BTC for BTC Alpha Fund

  • Over 750 BTC raised from professional investors in first four months, validating institutional demand for yield-generating Bitcoin strategies
  • First regulated bank globally to offer market-neutral Bitcoin yield through arbitrage trading
  • Fund shares eligible as Lombard loan collateral at Sygnum, enabling investors to access liquidity without reducing Bitcoin exposure

Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group, today announced the successful launch and seed-phase completion of the Starboard Sygnum BTC Alpha Fund, which delivered an annualised 8.9% net return in BTC for Q4 2025.

The fund’s initial performance and rapid capital formation, attracting over 750 BTC from professional and institutional investors in just four months, highlights growing interest in actively managed Bitcoin strategies that can generate yield independent of spot price movements. The fund was launched in October 2025 in partnership with Starboard Digital Strategies with a stated target of 8-10% annual returns in BTC through market-neutral arbitrage trading.

“As Bitcoin becomes a core portfolio allocation for institutional investors, we’re seeing growing demand for strategies that can generate returns beyond simple price appreciation,” said Markus Hämmerli, Head of Portfolio Management and BTC Alpha Fund offering lead at Sygnum. “The fund’s Q4 performance demonstrates that professional Bitcoin management can deliver meaningful results even when spot markets are flat or declining.”

The Cayman Islands-domiciled fund employs systematic arbitrage strategies to generate returns that are converted into Bitcoin, enabling investors to grow their Bitcoin holdings over time while maintaining full exposure to Bitcoin’s long-term price potential.  The strategy captures pricing dislocations across major crypto markets by leveraging arbitrage opportunities between spot and derivatives instruments, while maintaining a market-neutral exposure that seeks to limit reliance on Bitcoin’s day-to-day price movements.

As spot Bitcoin experiences a structured decline in volatility, even as ETF flows swing sharply, investors are shifting their focus from pure directional calls to generating additional returns that can hold up across different market conditions.

With monthly liquidity and a disciplined risk management framework, the fund is designed for professional and institutional investors seeking quality yield opportunities within an institutional-grade structure and safekeeping of assets off-exchange.

A distinctive feature of the fund is its integration with Sygnum’s broader banking services. Fund shares are eligible for select clients as collateral for USD Lombard Loans, enabling investors to access liquidity for other opportunities without selling their fund positions, a common challenge for long-term Bitcoin holders.

“Generating yield on Bitcoin and still maintaining exposure to its appreciation potential has been a persistent challenge for institutional investors,” said Nikolas Skarlatos of Starboard Digital. “The fund’s early results validate institutional-grade Bitcoin yield strategies and targets of 8-10% annual returns across market conditions.”

The BTC Alpha Fund launch aligns with broader institutional adoption of Bitcoin as a strategic portfolio allocation. Recent industry data indicates that 68% of institutional investors have already invested or plan to invest in Bitcoin exchange-traded products, and demand for professionally managed, yield-generating strategies continues to grow.

The fund leverages institutional-grade service providers and is available to qualified and professional investors in approved markets such as Switzerland and Singapore.

About Sygnum
Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. We empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. Our team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenization and B2B services.

In Switzerland, Sygnum holds a banking license and has CMS and Major Payment Institution licences in Singapore. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hubs of Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg and is registered in Liechtenstein.

We believe that the future has heritage. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance. To learn more about how Sygnum’s mission and values are shaping this digital asset ecosystem, please visit sygnum.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Sygnum Media Contact:
Dominic Castley, Chief Marketing Officer
[email protected]

Sygnum Bank AG,
Uetlibergstrasse 134a,
8045 Zurich, Switzerland

About Starboard Digital
Since 2020, Starboard Digital is a next-generation investment adviser specializing in market-neutral digital asset strategies. The firm designs, manages, and operates targeted investment solutions that combine institutional-grade infrastructure, robust risk management, and transparent operations.

Media contact for Starboard Digital:
Nikolaos Skarlatos
[email protected]
Starboard Digital SA

Disclaimer: The information in this publication pertaining to Sygnum Bank AG (“Sygnum”) is for general information purposes only, as per date of publication, and should not be considered exhaustive. This publication does not consider the financial situation of any natural or legal person, nor does it provide any tax, legal or investment advice. This publication does not constitute any advice or recommendation, an offer or invitation by or on behalf of Sygnum to purchase or sell any assets. No elements of precontractual or contractual relationship are intended. While the information is believed to be from accurate and reliable sources, Sygnum makes no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Sygnum expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information, omissions, or errors thereof. Any statements contained in this publication attributed to a third party represent Sygnum‘s interpretation of the data, information and/or opinions provided by that third party either publicly or through a subscription service, and such use and interpretation have not been reviewed by the third party. Sygnum reserves the right to amend or replace the information, in part or entirely, at any time, and without any obligation to notify the recipient of such amendment / replacement or to provide the recipient with access to the information. Simultaneously, there is no obligation of Sygnum to inform recipients of information, if before provided information later becomes outdated, inaccurate or obsolete, unless otherwise provided by applicable law. The information provided is not intended for use by or distributed to any individual or legal entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution, publication or use would be contrary to the law or regulatory provisions or in which Sygnum does not hold the necessary registration, approval authorisation or license. Except as otherwise provided by Sygnum, it is not allowed to modify, copy, distribute or reproduce, display, license, or otherwise use any content for commercial purposes.

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The information in this publication pertaining to Sygnum Bank AG (“Sygnum”) is for general information purposes only, as per date of publication, and should not be considered exhaustive. This publication does not consider the financial situation of any natural or legal person, nor does it provide any tax, legal or investment advice. This publication does not constitute any advice or recommendation, an offer or invitation by or on behalf of Sygnum to purchase or sell any assets. No elements of precontractual or contractual relationship are intended. While the information is believed to be from accurate and reliable sources, Sygnum makes no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Sygnum expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information, omissions, or errors thereof. Any statements contained in this publication attributed to a third party represent Sygnum‘s interpretation of the data, information and/or opinions provided by that third party either publicly or through a subscription service, and such use and interpretation have not been reviewed by the third party. Sygnum reserves the right to amend or replace the information, in part or entirely, at any time, and without any obligation to notify the recipient of such amendment / replacement or to provide the recipient with access to the information. Simultaneously, there is no obligation of Sygnum to inform recipients of information, if before provided information later becomes outdated, inaccurate or obsolete, unless otherwise provided by applicable law. The information provided is not intended for use by or distributed to any individual or legal entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution, publication or use would be contrary to the law or regulatory provisions or in which Sygnum does not hold the necessary registration, approval authorization or license. Except as otherwise provided by Sygnum, it is not allowed to modify, copy, distribute or reproduce, display, license, or otherwise use any content for commercial purposes.

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